Textile fabric



F. EATON TEXTILE FABRIC Jan. 28, 1941.

Filed Dec. 9, 1936 1 1 a nnnr'mnrn- INVENTOR. Frank [a /on;

ASSOCIAE ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEApplication December 9, 1936, Serial No. 114,985 In Great BritainDecember 24, 1935 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in textile fabrics and moreparticularly to multiple-ply fabrics as used in the production ofsemi-stiff collars, cuffs, fronts, pique vests and the like.

It has been proposed to produce multiple ply I fabrics in which two ormore layers of cloth, or warps are united together by binding warp orweft threads or other forms of interweave to provide a multiple plyfabric.

It has also been proposed to form a multiple ply fabric by uniting aplurality of layers of cloth by means of intermediate layers of clothhaving a proportion of their warp threads formed from cellulose acetateor by a blend of 1 two polyvinyl resins, rendered adhesive by heat orpressure, with or without the addition of latent solvent or combinationof such, whereby the several layers of cloth are united into a multipleply fabric.

Diiiiculty has been experienced in the employment of fabrics unitedtogether by the fusing of the intermediate layers of cloth owing to thevarious layers being liable to come apart during laundering or otherprocesses and further in their use for collars the insertion of thecollar top I into the collar band causes a very thick clumsy seam makinga neat fold line-diflicult to obtain.

In addition collars, cuffs, fronts and the like which are made.frommultiple ply fabrics united 0 together by the fusing of intermediatelayers have not the same wear-resisting properties of collars, cuffs,fronts and the like made from mulitilple ply fabrics united together byinterweav- 5 According to the invention the fabric is constructed'from aplurality of plies of cloth connected together during weaving by bindingwarp or weft yarn or other forms of interweave in Y which a proportionofthe warp or weft yarns 40 forming the weave or filling yarnsintermediate the plies of cloth or warp, are thermoplastic being coatedwith or formed of a substance which on the application of heat orpressure with or without the use of a latent solvent will cause the 45coating or thermoplastic yarn to be dispersed or fused and spread evenlythroughout the fabric causing the latter to become permanently. stiffer.

' In one form of the invention a proportion of the warp :or weft yamemployed is formed of or .50 coated with, any chemical solution to forma thermoplastic yarn or coating which after the .yarn is woven into thecloth, will on the application of heat or pressure with or without theaddition of a suitable solvent or plasticiser cause the thermoplasticyarn or coating to be dispersed or fused evenly throughout the cloth togive it a permanent stiffness.

In a further form of the invention applied to a cloth or fabric having aplurality of layers of warps united together during weaving by bind- 5ing warp or weft yarns passing from the front to the back of the clothor fabric and in which filling warp yarns are inserted betweenadjacentlayers of warps i. e. yarns which merly lie straight between thelayers without appearing m on either face of the cloth, all or aproportion of such filling yarns are formed of or coated with anychemical solution to form a thermoplastic yarn or coating which afterthe cloth or fabric has been woven will on the application of heat orpressure or a suitable solvent or plasticiser, cause the thermoplasticyarn or coating to be dispersed or fused evenly throughout the cloth orfabric to give it a permanent stiffness. '20

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section on the line ll of Fig. 2 of a fabric,on a greatly enlarged scale, employing a weft of cotton and athermoplastic material inserted simultaneously.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the fabric shown in Fig. 1 with the lower warp yarnsomitted for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a plan, partially broken away, of a fabric on a greatlyenlarged scale employing cotton and thermoplastic filling warp yarns.

Fig. 4 is a'plan of a collar constructed with ,filling warp yarns aproportion of which are formed of thermoplastic material as shown in Fi3. 1

The fabric shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a two-ply fabric constructedwith cotton face warps a in one ply woven in with a cotton weft ya'rn Iand a thermoplastic. weft yarn I inserted si- 40 -multaneously andcotton face warps b in the other ply also woven in with a cotton weftyarn l and a thermoplastic weft yard 2 inserted simultaneously toprovide a proportion of the weft yarns of a thermoplastic material whichon the application of heat and pressure with or without the addition ofa solvent or plasticizer will fuse to give additional stiffness to thefabric. The two plys are united together during weaving by binder warpyarns 3 interwoven with the weft yarns l and 2 of the two plies, theyarns 3 coming to both faces of the fabric on each pick 7 and preventingany separation of the plies.

The fabric shown in" Fig. 3 comprises a twoply fabric constructed withcotton face warps a tween the warp'yarnso and b and do not ap- V pear oneither face of the cloth. The filling warp yarns B on the application ofheat and pressure with or without the addition of a solvent orplasticizer will fuse to give additional stiffness to the fabric. Thetwo layers of warp yarns a and b and the filling warp yarns A and B areunited together during weaving bybindcr warp yarns 3 interwoven with theweft yarns I of the two layers, the yarns 3 coming to both surfaces ofthe fabric on each pick and preventing any separation of the plies.

The collar C shown in Fig. 4 is cut from the fabric shown in Fig.- 3, aportion of the binder warp yarns 3' being severed to allow the upper plyto be turnedback and the filling warp yarns A and B to be seen. Thethermoplastic warp yarns B as shown have not yet been fused by theapplication of heat and pressure to stiffen the collar.

The chemical substance employed for forming the thermoplastic yarn orcoating for the warp or weft or filling yarns capable of being fused ordispersed throughout the fabric by heat or pressure may be celluloseacetate or other cellulose derivative or a blend of two polyvinyl resinsor other known substance having similar properties and may in, the caseof cellulose acetate yarns, if necessary, before the application of theheat or pressure, he damped in known manner with acetone or other latentsolvent of the thermoplastic yarns.

This multiple ply fabric is particularly applicable for use in themanufacture of semi-stiff collars which require to have a semi-stiffneckband and semi-stiff outer skirt or collar proper to the treatment sothat the unprocessed yarns 15 remain undissolved and the collar readilyfolds along this line, or the thermoplastic yarns may be omitted alongthe fold lines.

The fabric is also applicable for use in the manufacture of semi stifldouble cuffs, both the' under and the top portions of the cufl requiringto be stiff while the fold-over line is softer than the rest of thecufl. I

The fabric is also applicable for use in-the manufacture of shirt frontsor for pique vests.

In the case of collars which are made with semi-stiff collar skirt butseparate'soft collar bands the portion of the collar skirt to beinserted into the band along with a sumcient allowance for the fold lineis not processed, leav ing this portion softer than the rest of thecollar, so that it will readily fold along this line.

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A multiply fabric consisting of two plies of $5 I fabric woven togetherby binder yarns, a proportion of the binder yarns comprising thermo'plastic material which are fusible by theapplication of heat andpressure to increase the permanent stiffness of the material.

FRANK EATQNF

